Briefs | Bank of China Macau reports MOP1.3 billion profit

The Bank of China – Macau Branch reported a profit of MOP1.305 billion in the first quarter of 2017, according to the balance sheet recently published in the Official Gazette. The result was the outcome of MOP2.359 billion of total costs and revenues of MOP3.664 billion. In the same period of 2016, the bank reported a profit of MOP1.348 billion, due to costs of MOP2.685 billion and revenues of MOP4.034 billion, meaning that this year’s result reflected a decrease of 3.2 percent. The Bank of China – Macau Branch, which is an issuing bank in the MSAR along with Banco Nacional Ultramarino (BNU), reported a profit of MOP580.69 million in 2016.

PSC industrial park launched in Guangxi

The first stone of the industrial park Beihai-Macau of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (PSC) was launched in Beihai, Guangxi province, on Monday. The park occupies a total area of 600 acres. During the first construction period, 100,000 square meters of new facilities will be completed, mainly for importing and developing high-end furniture, processing mineral resources, sea products, alcohol and fruit, among others. The park is expected to reach an accumulated trade value of RMB20 billion by 2020. It will also try to obtain three to five symbolic commercial projects from Portuguese-Speaking Countries within this year.

Zhuhai to conduct first sea economy investigation

The city of Zhuhai will launch its first sea economy investigation this year, according to a report by Jornal Va Kio. The investigation will focus on three aspects, including a complete examination of government departments and industries related to the sea. Companies and fishermen will be the target of the investigation. Currently, the sea industry in Zhuhai comprises 7,483 companies. Furthermore, a total of 11,510 companies conduct businesses related to the sea in Zhuhai. By the end of October, the city will have finished collecting all information necessary for the investigation.

Qualified helmets without labels can be used

Motorbike helmets without an information label will not lead to punishment of the owners as long as helmets meet the government’s requirements. A previous report by Macao Daily News informed that drivers could be fined if their helmets did not have labels.  Yesterday, Chan Io Fai, department head from the Transport Bureau (DSAT), said that drivers can refer to the DSAT webpage to confirm whether their helmets are qualified. Chan also said that if someone is prosecuted for not having a helmet label on, he or she can refer to DSAT and the relevant department will receive a notice to cancel the prosecution. These new regulations on helmets for motorbike drivers will come into effect on June 30.

High technician test sees 90 pct approval rate

Ninety percent of the people who attended the government exams for public departments passed the tests, according to a report released by TDM yesterday. The exam was aimed at recruiting high technicians for a total of 183 job vacancies in different public government departments. In total, 17,040 people took the exam, with 15,433 passing it. The Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau (SAFP) informed that it will subsequently issue a notice regarding the evaluation process of professional career abilities. Those who wish to attend the professional ability test should apply to the interested departments within ten days after the notice is issued. 

Mainland-Macau trade decreased 16 percent quarterly

The recent statistics from the Ministry of Commerce of China show that trade between the mainland and Macau decreased 10.6 percent in the first quarter of this year. The trade value amounted to USD615 million. The mainland’s imports from Macau decreased 33 percent, recording a total value of USD10 million. In the same period, 156 Macau business investment projects were approved and can now commence in the mainland, which corresponds to an increase of 10 percent year-on-year. The actual amount of Macau’s capital in the mainland was USD309 million, which corresponds to a 67 percent increase year-on-year.